Future Untold
by Storm Ruler
Summary: A future Inuyasha travels back in time to correct a mistake he made that will allow the world to have a better future than the one he lives in.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

They the past can bind us if we don't accept it, and that saying couldn't be more true. I made a lot of stupid choices, but there is one choice in particular I regret more than anything else. Some people don't get a second chance, but I wouldn't take no for an answer. I searched the ends of the earth for a way to obtain that chance and I finally found it. I just hope it buys me enough time to fix the sins of my past so that the future can be brighter than the future that currently exists.

Inuyasha stared at the relic in his hands. He had been told that his hourglass would allow him to travel back in into the past, but it had a price. What that price was, he was allowed to chose that but it had to be something significant. He knew what he was willing to give up to ensure that this future never existed and he could make sure she never died. Sighing, he turned around knowing Sesshomaru was staring at him.  
"What do you want Sesshomaru? Haven't I been more than clear there is nothing you can do to stop me from fixing this mess I created." Inuyasha roared at his older brother.

Sesshomaru stared at his younger brother waiting for the temper tantrum to end. This had been a common occurrence recently. He knew Inuyasha had good intentions, but the possibilities of what could happen if he failed in his mission could be devastating and Inuyasha was not prepared for such a task.

"Half breed, going back in time is a dangerous thing. Especially the way you're doing it. Once you're there, you're stuck and can't return to this time. What if you can't alter the events; what will you do then sit back and watch as history repeats itself? You need to think things through and find a better way." Sesshomaru stated coldly to Inuyasha.

Inuyasha snorted at Sesshomaru's remarks. It figured Sesshomaru would give him another lecture about using the hourglass. He knew the possibilities that awaited and he didn't care. He was confident that he could change things and would be damned if his brother stood in the way. This future, no one deserved this and she was the key to ensuring this could never become a reality.

"Sesshomaru I'm doing this whether you like it or not. You can either get out of my way now, or I'll force you out of my way."

Knowing that the worthless half breed was a lost cause he quickly stepped aside and motioned for the half breed to be gone.  
"If you insist on watching the events unfold again that is your choice. Don't say that you weren't warned though. Now begone before I decided to end my hospitality and end your life half breed." Sesshomaru snarled at Inuyasha.

Inuyasha stared at Sesshomaru for a few seconds before nodding his head in acknowledgement. With that he took his leave and walked down the stairs of the main hall and out the front doors of Sesshomaru's palace. He took the hourglass flipped it over watching the sands fall. As the sands fell a blue light engulfed him and in the blink of an eye he was whisked away to the time destination of his choosing.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The light faded and the future Inuyasha was beside the Bone Eaters well. He took quick sniff to see if the hourglass had taken him back far enough in time or if he would have to use it again. When the particular scent he was looking for hit his nose he knew that he was where he needed to be. He surveyed the area, making sure his present self wasn't around before heading to the Goshinboku tree. He sat down underneath staring at the sky, trying to come up with a plan to alter the events that led to that unspeakable moment. He knew he would need a new outfit and weapon, he couldn't be seen as himself. He needed to able to get close to the group, possibly even join them if he had any hope of setting things right.

Sighing he decided that first order of business would be to obtain a new sword. That meant making a visit to Totosai. With his first course of action set before him, he picked himself up off the ground and headed toward his destination.

Kagome waved at family as she made her way to the well. She felt bad for not coming back as much anymore but the number of jewel shards left to collect was growing smaller, and that meant the final battle with Naraku was looming ever closer. She knew they understood, but it didn't make her feel any better about it. Chasing her thoughts away, she jumped down the well and headed to the Feudal Era.

The present Inuyasha sat by the well waiting for Kagome to return. He was troubled though. He smelled the scent of someone related to him and Sesshomaru. That was impossible though. All their family had died. At least he thought they had. He wanted Kagome's opinion because he was considering heading West to ask Sesshomaru about this. Sighing heavily he turned back to the task at hand, waiting for Kagome to return.

Kagome pulled herself out of the well and was surprised to see Inuyasha deep in thought. Not wanting to disturb him, sh sat down on the edge of well and watched. His golden eyes flickered as thoughts of confusion ran through his mind and his silver hair framed his face perfectly. Atop his head sat to fuzzy ears that she absolutely adored. His ears twitched wildly as the gears of his mind kept him distracted from the world around him. After a few minutes of watching Kagome finally cleared her throat to get his attention.

Inuyasha was startled by the sudden sound of someone clearing their throat. He looked around wildly trying to find the source of the noise. His eyes settled on Kagome and he let a sigh of relief.

"Did I scare you Inuyasha? If I did I'm sorry" Kagome said, with a smile upon her face.

Embarrassed by the fact he had been caught of guard he quickly regained his composure and acted as he usually would.

"Me, scared? Keh. I'm not scared of anything wench. We need to get back to the village, I have something I need to discuss with the group. It's important." He replied to her in a huffy tone. With that he said he let Kagome climbed upon his back and they set out for the village.

The future Inuyasha arrived at Totosai's cave. It was exactly as he remembered it. The forge was blazing and Totosai was hard at work crafting weapons and armour as usual. Stepping inside he, walked over Totosai and watched him work.  
"It's good to see you Inuyasha. To what do I owe this visit? I bet you need your sword fixed again."

"No I'm here to have a sword and armour made. I need them as quickly as you can make them Totosai." Inuyasha replied to him.

Totosai turned around and studied him for a few moments. Those few moments unnerved Inuyasha though. It felt as if his soul was being stared into.

"Well it seems you are a future version of Inuyasha. I won't ask why you're here. I can make the items you want if you give 3 of your fangs and some of your blood. It will take several days though. Is that good enough for you?" Totosai asked him.

Inuyasha gave a slight nod and reached into his mouth, pulling out the necessary amount of fangs.

"The sooner you can get started, the better everything will be."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The future Inuyasha waited patiently for Totosai to finish crafting the armour and weapon. Totosai had said it would take 3 days but it had already been 4. Inuyasha was beginning to wonder if maybe Totosai had lost his touch with age, when he was caught off guard by the sound Totosai's voice.

"I'm sorry I took longer than expected to finish your armements. Your fangs couldn't decide what they wanted to be crafted into a first and that caused some delays. However, everything is ready now. If you would walk with me I'll show you your new gear."

Inuyasha followed the old demon past the forge, and down a series of long hallways. Inuyasha had never noticed them before because he had never had need to go past the forging area until now. They continued walking until they came to a door and Totosai opened it, ushering him to go through it. Behind the door was a small meadow with a lake in the center. A short distance before the lake sat a bench, with the items Inuyasha had requested to be made. The weapon was finely made katana, with an inscription on the blade. Inuyasha, curios as to what the inscription said picked the blade up and studied it closer. _**To protect the ones I love and ensure the future for everyone I wield this blade with honor. **_Inuyasha smiled, the inscription seemed fitting given his reason for coming here.

He placed the blade back on the bench, and looked at the armour next to it. It was light chainmail but it glistened with a glow that he had never seen. The craftsmanship was by the greatest he had ever seen. It would serve him well. He noticed the armour included a black cloak to hide the fact he was wearing armour and a small golden ring lay next the cloak. Curiously he, he picked up the ring and examined it.

"That ring will disguise your scent. It will also cause others to be deceived by your appearance. To you, you'll look like yourself but to everyone else, you'll look like an average human. I hope these are to your liking because I have no intention of remaking them. Now I have a question for you. What do you intend to call your sword." Totosai asked him.

Inuyasha scratched his head. He hadn't really thought about a name for his new sword. He knew the sword would be useless until he gave it a name though. After several moments of silence the perfect name came to his mind.

"I think I will call it Seigi no ikari. It seems perfect for such a beautiful weapon."

With the name decided, the sword pulsed recognising it's master and forming the bond that would allow Inuyasha to wield it properly. Inuyasha looked at the old demon and smiled at him.

"Thank you for everything this gear will work perfectly. You've really outdone yourself. I would stay and catch up with you but I have important business to attend to."

Inuyasha walked over to the bench and picked up the armour and cloak. He quickly donned them before slipping on the ring and sheathing Seigi no ikari. He turned to Totosai one last time before bowing in respect and setting off for his next destination.

The past Inuyasha and his group sat around Kaede's small hut. Inuyasha had told them all he had something important to discuss with them and everyone was curious as to what it possibly could be. Seeing that everyone wanted to know what he had to say, Inuyasha cleared his throat and began speaking.

"I wanted to talk to you all because I want your opinion on something I'm troubled about. A couple of days ago shortly before Kagome returned I smelled an odd scent. It was the scent of someone related to me and Sesshomaru. I don't understand how this is possible because as far as Sesshomaru and I know, all are family is dead. I don't like the idea of this but I feel that Sesshomaru needs to be informed of this. Do you guys think this is a good idea?"

Shocked by the fact he had even asked their opinions, the group quickly told that he was making the right decision. They also felt they should head West as quickly as possible so as to make sure Sesshomaru heard this from them before anyone else. With the group agreed that this was right choice, they decide to head West at dawn to bring this confusing news to the Western lord.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Inuyasha and his friends had been in the West for several days now. It had been Inuyasha's hope that when they crossed onto Western territory that Sesshomaru would come to investigate. That however had not occurred. So, they had spent the last several days following Inuyasha who guided by his noticed sought out Sesshomaru.

The Western lands were extremely beautiful. It was filled with meadows and forests. There weren't many villages, but the villages that did exist were fairly large and wanted for nothing. Sesshomaru took great care of his people and his lands. It surprised them all to see that many of the villages consisted of humans, hanyous, and demons all living together in harmony. Based on Sesshomaru's personal views and behavior, they had expected to walk into a land filled with nothing but demons that worshipped the ground Sesshomaru walked on. The fact that they had been wrong was a pleasant and very welcome surprise,

Inuyasha looked up to the sky and noted that they had little daylight left. He let out a small sigh before turning to the rest of his group.

"I can smell a village shortly up ahead. We can stop there for the night. It's better than camping out in the open and being an easy target. Plus I'm sure Kagome is upset because she hasn't been able to bathe for a few days because we haven't come across any hotsprings" He said.

Kagome glared at him for a brief second before responding.

"Are you trying to say I smell bad Inuyasha? I take great offense to that. I can't believe how rude you are sometimes. Do you ever think about anyone else besides yourself?"

"Kagome I wasn't implying you smell bad. Honestly I think you smell great,"

"Inuyasha... SIT!"

With loud thud Inuyasha fell face first into the dirt. Never what he said, it always came out wrong. He wasn't trying to be mean. He knew she liked to be clean and he figured staying at the village would allow her to accomplish this. Sometimes he just didn't understand why she got upset with him.

Kagome fumed for a few seconds before Inuyasha's words sank in. He thought she smelled good. A smile made it's way to her face and a blush spread across her cheeks. Embarrassed because she sat Inuyasha as he given her a compliment, she quickly made her way over to him.

"Inuyasha are you all right? I'm sorry I sat you, It's just I thought you were insulting me when you weren't."

"Keh. I'm fine wench. Now let's get moving before we waste anymore more time."

The rest of group watched the two interact with smiles on their faces. Perhaps there was hope for Inuyasha and Kagome afterall. The rest of group wondered when they would finally see Kagome and Inuyasha admit their feelings for each other. It was obvious the two greatly cared about each other.

The future Inuyasha was not to far behind the group. He smiled when he overheard his past self's plan to stay the village for the night. He had even gotten a slight chuckle out of hearing the thud from Kagome sitting him. Soon though his work would begin. He would stay at the village tonight and come up with a plan that would allow him to travel with the group. From there he would monitor the situation and act accordingly. He wanted to make sure that his identity never became comprised. His past self could never know about this. If his past self ever discovered why a future version of him came to change the past, it would destroy any chance of making a better future. No, he had to be discrete in how he caused change. With that in mind he continued his journey to the village, running different ideas of how he could work his way into the group through his head.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The group arrived at the village shortly before night fell. They had no money on them so Miroku convinced the keeper of the inn at the village that his inn was haunted by a lingering spirit. The payment for getting rid of this spirit was to allow them a nights stay. The innkeeper agreed quickly and thanked them for offering their services to him.

Miroku continued the ruse and performed a fake exorcism. After performing the ritual he assured the innkeeper that the spirit had been dealt and would no longer be of any concern. The innkeeper once again thanked the group before bidding them good night and heading towards his hut for the night. After watching the innkeeper enter his hut, the group relaxed and knew that they would claim a good night of rest.

Inuyasha waited patiently until Sango and Kagome left to bathe before asking Miroku for advice. Inuyasha knew the monk was a leecher to an extent, but he also knew the monk had insight. Insight that he valued much more than he would ever let on.

"Miroku can I ask you a question? Do you ever get tired of this and just want it all to be over so you can live life how you want?"

"Yes I am tired of this and want it to end. I want it to end so I can finally marry Sango and have the family I desire. Why do you ask Inuyasha? It seems strange for you to do such a thing." Miroku replied.

Inuyasha took a moment to collect his thoughts. He wanted to make sure he chose his words carefully so as not offend the monk.

"When this is all over, I have to know what I'm going to do. There is a part of me that wants to stay here with all of you, but then there is part of me that wants to honor my promise to Kikyo. I know that if I honor that promise though that Kagome will extremely hurt and may never forgive me. I need closure though Miroku. I need for once in my life to live up to my words and keep a promise I made. I wanted to ask if choosing to go with Kikyo would be the wrong choice. You seem the best person to ask about this." Inuyasha stated.

Miroku took a long hard look at Inuyasha. He always wondered if Inuyasha would ask anyone's opinion about this situation. Miroku had no right answer for his hanyou friend though. No matter what path he took, one of the women he cared about was going to be crushed. That much was inevitable. Seeing no way to give his friend a false reassuring answer, Miroku decided to be straightforward with Inuyasha.

"There is no right answer Inuyasha. No matter which path you decide to follow someone is going to get hurt. If you refuse Kikyo it will be her. If you chose Kikyo it will be Kagome that gets crushed. If you leave all of us will hurt Inuyasha. You may be cold and harsh sometimes, but we all view you as a friend. Some of us even view you as more. The best advice I can give is do what you feel is best. Hopefully you'll make the right choice. A choice like this must be well thought out though because it can have serious repercussions." Miroku told him.

Inuyasha nodded accepting the monks words. He knew what he was going to do. The others may not agree with it but he felt it was the right thing to do. For once in his life he was going to do honorable thing and not run away from his problems. He was going to keep his promise. He just hoped the others would be able to understand.

The future Inuyasha who also at the inn overheard the conversation between the monk and his past self. Angered boiled to the surface as he recalled the events that would soon take place after this. It was Kikyo's fault that everything fell apart. He had chosen her only for her to sell them all out to Naraku. In the end her treachery had led to him losing everyone. He wouldn't allow that to happen again. Now that he was here he would ensure that these events would be altered at all costs. If Kikyo or anyone else tried to stop him they would fall to his blade.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

The sun shined down upon the small village and gave it an almost ethereal gleam. The future Inuyasha was wide awake, and deep in thought. He hadn't expected to catch up to his past self this quick. He remembered all the times people had tried to track them down only to have it take months to achieve that goal. Now that he was here though, he needed to come up with solid back story to ensure his cover would remain intact. Thousands of ideas swam through his mind before one idea in particular stuck out like a sore thumb. Yes, he would use this idea as cover story. A large fanged smile graced his face as he knew this particular cover would gain him access in to the group, and gain the sympathy of Kagome.

With this decided he quietly made his way out of the inn and into the village market. He would buy some supplies and bide his time until the group was awake and heading out of the village. Then he would set his plan into motion. As he walked through the village an odd thought crossed his mind. He realized that he had become much wiser with time. He let out a scoff, at least one good thing had come out that horrible future that he was trying so desperately to keep from repeating itself.

The past Inuyasha and his group awoke shortly before noon. They were glad they had been able to stop and rest at village because it allowed them to get more rest than he able to achieve in almost a week. Traveling through a land that was mostly wilderness with only a few large villages scattered far and between took it's toll on a person. With renewed energy,the group was ready to return to the road and find Sesshomaru.

As the rest of the group got their gear together, Kagome went to find the inn keeper. She thought that he maybe able to give them information on how much longer it would take to reach the Western palace. She knew Inuyasha hated being in these lands, and that he despised the idea of talking to his brother even more. The sooner they could get to the palace and inform Sesshomaru the better it would be for Inuyasha's sake. After searching the inn for a few moments she found the inn keeper sitting at the dining area eating small mid day meal.

"May I ask you a question sir? Do you know how many days from here it would take to reach the Western palace? One of my companions has business to attend to there but has never been there before in his life." She said in a soft voice.

The inn keeper was impressed with the girl's politeness. Most of the folks who came through this village were rude arrogant demons who were on their way to attend meetings and other political nonsense at home of the Western Lord. He could tell this group wasn't noble and he couldn't fathom what business they would have at the palace. At least they were polite though and that made giving them information feel good.

"The palace is about a day's travel from here. The roads past the village are dangerous though so be careful. Also since you have never been to the palace before let me give you a warning. Be prepared to state your business as soon as you see the castle. Sesshomaru has guards everywhere. They will not hesitate to kill strangers that refuse to state the purpose of their visit." He told her truthfully.

Kagome looked at the man and nodded before thanking him and returning to her room. She gathered her belongings together quickly so as not to slow the group down any longer than necessary. After gathering her things she met the rest of the group outside the inn.

"Inuyasha, I have some good news. We don't have much farther to travel. The inn keeper informed that the palace is a day's travel from here. We best be prepared though. He claims the roads are dangerous and that Sesshomaru has many guards near the palace that will demand to know our intentions." She informed him.

Inuyasha nodded at Kagome and looked at the group. He was glad that they were always there looking out for him. He would never admit this, but he come to look at them as family. Growing up he had never had a family. This group, was the closest thing he had ever had to a family.

"Keh, it's about time. I don't understand why the palace is in the middle of the wilderness though. It seems kinda pointless to me. I figured it would be in the middle of a large scale village inhabited by nothing but demons. For someone who hates humans, there are an awful lot of them he lets live in his lands. Keh, he probably just has them here so he can things to torture. Let's get moving." Inuyasha stated.

With that the group made their way to the outskirts of the village before Miroku motioned for them to stop. He had noticed that they were being followed by what looked like a well armed mercenary. Fearful of troubled he gripped his staff tightly before turning around to face the unknown man.

"Is there something we can help you with sir? I've noticed you have been following us." Miroku said cautiously.

The unknown man was fairly built. He had long black hair and sharp green eyes that seemed to stare into your soul. A long scar ran underneath his right eye and he was garbed in high grade armour. At his right side was a beautiful kattana that appeared to have been made by a master blacksmith. The man bowed respectfully to the group before replying.

"My name is Jokutsu. I've heard stories that you are the group that is hunting Naraku. If that is true I would like to join you. I have my own grudge to settle with Naraku and I believe we can all benefit from traveling together. After all, they say their is power in numbers."

"You assume right when you claim we are hunting Naraku. We aren't looking for anyone else to join us though. We are plenty capable of taking care of him by ourselves so get lost." Inuyasha blurted out before anyone had a chance to stop him.

"Inuyasha don't be rude. Excuse my friend he can be quite rude sometimes. Why exactly are you hunting Naraku?" Kagome asked Jokutsu.

A dark frown came across his face as memories he didn't want to think of filled his mind. He had to gain access to their group. Naraku had cost him everything. He would ensure that Naraku suffered a fate worse than hell itself.

"I seek my revenge because he killed everyone I ever loved. He wiped them out in the most inhumane ways imaginable and forced me to watch. The only reason he didn't kill me was because at that time I was a weakling. Now things are different though. I'm ready for him and he won't have a chance at defeating me." He replied to Kagome.

"Keh, that's some big talk for a human. Naraku is a powerful hanyou. You don't stand a chance against him."

"Inuyasha... SIT!" With those words Inuyasha crashed into the ground a large crater was now where he once stood. The rest of the group looked on, afraid to say anything that would make the impending fight between Kagome and Inuyasha any worse.

"I'm sorry to hear about your loss. Any help we can get against Naraku would appreciated. I don't care what Inuyasha says, you can travel with us." She stated.

A few hours and many arguments later the now larger group walked the path heading towards Sesshomaru's castle. Jokutsu walked behind everyone else with a slight grin on his face. His plan had worked. Everyone bought the story he fed them and had no suspicions that he was a future version of Inuyasha.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Jokutsu sat by the fire, staring into it endlessly and ignoring the world that currently surrounded him. He wasn't sure what would happen to him after he changed history. Would he still exist, or would he fade away and become a shadow. He hadn't really thought about it when he first decided to start this mission, but now he couldn't stop himself from pondering over it. He let out a sigh and continued to stare at the fire. Why did things have to be so difficult? If he had made better choices he wouldn't even be in this mess. His thoughts escaped him and his mind drifted into the memories of his own paradox of memories that were far different than the ones his current self had.

_**Inuyasha had gathered the group together. He had told them he had news to tell them. He paced back and forth nervously trying to find the right words to say. He cared for all them and didn't want them to be angry with his choice. He cared for Kagome, but his promise to Kikyo still stood and he wished to honor that. Taking a deep breath, he finally turned to face the group and speak the thoughts that were on his mind.**_

_** "You all have been with me through tons of hardships. You're like the family I never had when I was a kid. I know you may not agree with this decision but I felt that you all had the right to know. I've been thinking a lot recently and have decided that when the quest for the jewel is over I'm going to keep my promise to Kikyo. I know this must be hard for you all to here but I ask that you respect my decision.**_

_** Kagome, I know that you love me and this must be especially hard for you. If things were different, I could see myself being able to give you the type of relationship you want from me. That isn't the case though. All I can offer you is friendship and I hope that is alright with you. If you hate me and don't want to talk to me I understand. I just ask that you understand my reasoning and that you forgive me for breaking your heart." He told them in quivering voice. He was scared. Scared that they would leave him and that until Naraku was dead he would be alone in the world once more.**_

_** Kagome bolted into him and threw her arms around him and began sobbing uncontrollably. He froze unsure of what to do. Should he comfort her or just leave her be? Deciding that comfort seemed to be what a friend would do he wrapped his arms around her in return and told her everything would be alright.**_

_** "Inuyasha, I'm glad you trusted us. I can't say I'm not hurt though. I love you and always will. I do understand your reasons, but that doesn't make it any easier on me." Kagome told him. Inuyasha let out a sigh of relief. He had been afraid she would hate him. She was the first person besides Kikyo that had ever accepted him.**_

_** "I'm glad you understand and don't hate me. There is one other thing I'd like to ask though. Do you all care if Kikyo travels with us from now on?"**_

_** The group looked around at each before nodding their heads in agreement at Inuyasha. He looked at Kagome wondering if she was okay with this request when she decided to speak.**_

_** "It's fine by me Inuyasha. I just want you to be happy. I wish that I could be the one that you made you happy but fate isn't allowing that to happen. Treat her right Inuyasha." Kagome said with tears streaming down her face. Inuyasha was glad that they weren't giving him a hard time. He knew that they didn't agree with his choice, but they were respecting it and for that he was glad. With the discussion over the group resumed their quest for the jewel shards.**_

_** Several months had passed since Kikyo had joined the group. At first the others had been cold to her but as time wore on they had begun to develop and friendship with her. Kagome had even started letting Kikyo help her tame her miko abilities. Everything seemed perfect. But like all good things, this was not meant to last. Kikyo often had to leave the group to collect souls to keep her alive. She would be gone for days and the group just assumed she was having trouble finding souls. That was not the truth though. The truth was much harsher and they found out in the most gruesome fashion. **_

_** In her time away from the group Kikyo had been feeding Naraku information. Everything the group did she told him about, allowing to always be ahead of them. On one fateful day though Kikyo and Naraku decided to use this to their advantage and set a trap for the the unsuspecting group.**_

_** Kikyo had excused herself to collect more souls. A short while later the group heard screams from the direction Kikyo had gone. Inuyasha recognizing the sound of her voice, gathered the group and ran to the aid of his beloved. They found her in the forest covered in bruises and blood. Clearly she had been attacked.**_

_** "Kikyo who did this to you? Are you alright?" Inuyasha asked in concern. Kikyo smiled at him. He was always did have a soft spot for her, and that was his greatest flaw. Getting up slowly she, turned to look at him.**_

_** "It twas Naraku. It seems he's found us. You shouldn't have come for me Inuyasha. That's exactly what he wanted. Leave me here. If you run now I'll hold him off so you can escape. Don't let my sacrifice be in vain." She whispered to him.**_

_** "I can't leave you. I won't let him tear us apart again! If you're staying to fight so am I!" He yelled at her. Seeing as there was no way to convince the stubborn hanyou to leave she nodded in acknowledgement and motioned for the group to come closer. The strange outfit of companions readied their weapons, for the impending attack by Naraku.**_

_** Naraku smiled from the shadows. Everything was going according to plan. He to admit he didn't believe Kikyo would follow through on her promise to hand him his enemies, but he had been wrong. After all the years that they had been thorn in his side, he would finally be free of them. He waited a few more moments before walking into the clearing.**_

_** "It seems we meet again. I guess you are as foolish as you look. Kikyo told you to leave and yet you stayed. Perhaps if you had listened to her I might have made your death less painful. Tsk tsk. I guess now You'll just have to watch as I rip her guts out." Naraku stated.**_

_** Inuyasha roared in anger and swung Tetsusaiga at Naraku with incredible force. Naraku barely side stepped the swing and was surprised to see Inuyasha recover so quickly from the missed strike. Soon Inuyasha was in a frenzy attacking with such force and speed that it caused Naraku to stay on the defensive instead of of offensive. Kikyo watched as the group stared at the battle between the two half breed. They were so engrossed with it that they did notice Kikyo reach for her bow and notch an an arrow. She aimed at Kagome and smiled.**_

_**The arrow soared through the air and hit Kagome square in the chest. Kagome looked down in terror and saw blood pouring uncontrollably from the wound. She wanted nothing more than to scream in agony but couldn't. All she could was slump to the ground as her lungs filled with blood and her vision faded to black.**_

_**Inuyasha stopped his assault when the scent of blood hit his nose. He turned to see Kagome fall to the ground with blood pouring from an arrow in her chest, and Kikyo standing with a bow in her hand. Inuyasha dropped to his knees as he realised Naraku had outsmarted them. Without Kagome they would never be able to get the rest of the shards. **_

_**Inuyasha was furious at himself. He had promised to protect her. When she needed him most though, he had been too busy. He was so obsessed with the past that he had failed to see the present, and the future. He sank his head into hands. How could anything possibly get worse.**_

_**His head snapped up when he heard screams from his other companions. He stared in horror as he saw that Naraku had impaled them with his tentacles. Inuyasha could see that the blows were fatal, and that there was no chance in them surviving. He had failed the ones he sworn to protect, and the only people he thought of as family were all dead. He sat on his knees, waiting for death. He didn't deserve to be alive and he certainly didn't want to be. Death never found him though. Instead he found his head being forced up to stare into Naraku's eyes.**_

"_**Do you see this carnage? This is a sign of things to come. You wish for death, but death will not find you. I want you to be a messenger. You will be a living testament to show how I destroy my enemies. I don't kill them. I find what they care about most and turn it into their worst nightmare. I kill everything thing they care about and leave them nothing left to live for. In most cases then I would kill them. But you, you're special. I want you to suffer. Death would be an escape for you. You will live the rest of your life with this memory etched into your brain." Naraku said in excitement. With that he beckoned for Kikyo and together they walked into the shadows and left Inuyasha alone and broken.**_


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

**Author Note:** I would like to personally thank everyone who has reviewed the story so far. I know the chapters are short right now, usually around 1,000 words or a little more but as I grow more confident in the story and come up with fantastic ideas for it, the chapters will start to get longer. If you like this story perhaps you may also enjoy my other Inuyasha fanfic Lost and Found. Your support is appreciated and I hope you all continue to enjoy my work

Stormruler

_**Weeks had passed since the death of Inuyasha's companions. The fire that once shone in his eyes and the courage to stand up for the greater had died. He had been ashamed when he had returned to the village and informed Kaede of his failure to protect the group. He knew that if he had made better decisions and perhaps listened to the advice of his friends, that he wouldn't be in this predicament. That was history now and there was no way to change it... or was there. In the weeks following the deaths of those he held dear, Inuyasha had become obsessed with the idea that if Kagome could travel through time, that their must be a way for others to do so as well. He scoured the land high and low, talked to many demons and witches, he even had Kaede ask some of the mikos she knew. When no one was able to give him an answer, a way to mold the past and correct his sins, he began to lose hope.**_

_** On one particular day, Kaede noticed Inuyasha was more depressed than usual. Since the death of the others, he was always sad but the sadness this day lingered in the air and was almost malleable. Worrying that the hanyou might do something stupid if left alone Kaede decided that it was best to hear his thoughts, lest they consume him even more than they already were.**_

"_**Inuyasha what ales thee? It seems you're much sadder than normal. I know you don't like to talk about your emotions, but if you don't they will consume you child." She said in a soft voice. She hoped Inuyasha would not get upset with what she said. His moods had been erratic recently and nobody knew what mindset he was in at any given moment .**_

_**Inuyasha heard the concern in the old miko's voice. She was right, he was much sadder than normal. He had good reason to be. Today would have been Kagome's birthday and it would have marked her 4th year traveling between the eras. He sighed as the mental picture of the group celebrating filled his mind before quickly being replaced by the harsh reality that they were gone. He had failed them and because of that they had paid the ultimate price.**_

"_**Yea I'm upset Kaede. I have every right to be. It's my fault they aren't here anymore. If I hadn't been so stupid, maybe Kagome and them would be here with me. You know I chose Kikyo because I thought I was doing the honorable thing, but was it honorable to chose a dead woman who no longer cared about me over a living woman who loved me with every ounce of her soul! I made a mistake and chose the wrong woman and now I have to pay the price.**_

_**It would be her birthday if she was still alive. Do you know how much it kills me that she can't spend this day with her family? I haven't even been able to gather up the courage to tell them that she's dead. I can imagine the look of disgust upon their faces as they think about what a failure I am." He said to the old miko with tears streaming down his face.**_

"_**Inuyasha that is enough! You're not the only one upset by their deaths but stop wallowing in self pity. You have done much to find a way to bring them back but there is one option you have not even considered. Your brother is a Lord. Lords have access to libraries with a vast wealth of knowledge. Perhaps you should ask him you could use the library to search for the answers you seek. I would have suggested that you ask him to use Tenseiga but we know it only works on beings Sesshomaru deems worthy. Your brother would most likely not consider your companions worthy. **_

_** The library is your best chance Inuyasha. I know you hate your brother. But what is more important, your hate for your brother or the love for your fallen comrades? That is the question you need to ask yourself Inuyasha." The old woman screamed at him.**_

_**A tense silence filled the air as her words hit Inuyasha hard. Was the hate of his brother really worth giving up a chance to find a way to fix his mistakes? He thought about it for a few moments and made a decision. He would swallow his pride and do something he never imagined possible, he would go to the West and ask his brother for help.**_

_**Kaede stared at Inuyasha wondering if her words had even phased him at all when she was suddenly caught in an iron grip. The hanyou had pulled into a ferocious hug and was weeping into her shoulder. She patted his back, not knowing how to react to this situation. She knew plenty about calming upset humans but she knew nothing about how to calm a demon. Why would she. Mikos were trained to believe that demons were evil creatures incapable of emotion. She didn't agree with these teachings but she would never openly state such a thing. To do so would be considered heresy and she would be killed as punishment.**_

"_**Thank you, for giving me hope again. It will be difficult to convince Sesshomaru to help me but if it means that I can get them back then it's worth the effort. I don't know how long I'll be gone or if I will even ever return, so I want to do this right. Kaede thank you for everything and in case this is the last time we ever see each other, goodbye my dear friend." The crying half breed whispered into her ear.**_

_**With that he released his hug on her and looked at her for a fleeting moment before he darted off into the night leaving the old miko standing alone in the village. Kaede allowed a smile to cross her face. She doubted she would ever see the hanyou again. She only hoped that he was able to return to the past and revive his companions because if he wasn't able to, then there was little hope for the world as a whole.**_

_**Since the death of Inuyasha's companions Naraku's influence had spread like wildfire. Most of the lords had been conquered and the only remaining power that was of any threat to Naraku was the West. It was also for this reason Kaede had suggested the idea to Inuyasha. The West was the last beacon of hope for the land and if it fell, then nothing would stop Naraku from conquering everything. Kaede was confident though that the two brothers could hold him off long enough for Inuyasha to find a way to return to his companions and stop this future from ever occurring.**_


End file.
